


Home At Last

by dragonshost



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/M, minor stingue mentions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-11-03 02:20:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10957644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonshost/pseuds/dragonshost
Summary: Having a home wasn't something Cobra was familiar with.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a stand alone drabble, that somehow became a lot longer. So the first couple of chapters are short, but 4-6 will be longer.

The feeling of coming home.

It was something that Cobra had believed all his life that he would never experience for himself.

He had heard it before. How could he not? People in their quaint little abodes, greeting each other. Loving each other.

He had hated them for it. Though no longer a slave, he still wasn't free - subject to whatever Brain decided would be their next course of action. And later, it was Midnight whose behest he followed. Freedom, and a family to return to, wasn't something he was allowed to have or even permitted to want. The Oracions Seis did possess their own sense of belonging; it was a twisted thing, caught in a web of their own desires and warped personalities.

But now, though?

"Hey, Cobra," a voluptuous blonde woman greeted the Dragon Slayer as he opened the door to her small apartment. She turned slightly to give him a brilliant smile. "Somehow, I thought that would be you. Nobody else bothers to use the door, after all!"

The Poison Dragon Slayer snorted at her. "So the morons still haven't learned any manners, I take it. Don't know what I expected. Maybe that they would grow a brain at some point? One that they could share."

Lucy tutted at him. "Don't give me that, Natsu is one of smartest people in guild! He just... doesn't... show it much..."

"Then how is that better than not having one?" Cobra sat down on the Fairy Tail mage's couch. Much like her teammates, he had long since claimed a portion of her apartment for his own. This corner of the couch was his territory, and no one else was allowed to sit there. It was an unspoken rule, but still one observed. (How this spot had come to be his was a tale for another time.)

"Regardless," Lucy chided him, sitting down at the other end of the couch. "Behave."

"Never."

As she sighed in false exasperation at him, Cobra couldn't help but be keenly aware of the strange feelings welling up inside of him.

Strange though it was, here in his spot on Lucy's couch, Cobra felt at peace.

_Like he had finally come home at last._


	2. Chapter 2

"Is he alright?"

A voice permeated the Poison Dragon Slayer's mind, full of concern and its possessor's soul full of music. What was that? Who…?

"For the most part. I healed what injuries he had, but they were superficial at worst."

"So then…"

"Seems it was malnutrition. He also has a minor fever, from being in the canal for too long. Honestly, it's amazing he didn't drown."

Cobra furrowed his brow, fighting his way into consciousness. Was that the Sky Dragon Slayer he heard? He still didn't recognize the other voice, and he felt strange. Like the world was made of molasses and he was an insect caught within it. His eye was _not_ obeying his commands to open, either.

"I can't believe Snakeface was stupid enough to faint from hunger!" Shrieking laughter shattered what little tranquility his sleeping state had gifted him with.

_For the love of fuck, make that sound stop!_

A clear smack reached Cobra's ears. "Natsu," hissed the lyrical one, "he's still resting! Be quiet!"

"Yes, Natsu," said a fourth voice, deep and even. "Let him rest." _This_ soul. Cobra recognized this one as well. The psychotic, hammer-wielding redhead. _Oh, joy._

"But he ain't sleeping anymore!" protested the Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Goddamn, Flame Brain. Way to break the sound barrier."

With a groan, Cobra groggily muttered, "How could I sleep with you making a racket?"

Another smack. "Natsu! I told you!"

"Stop hitting me, Lucy!"

 _Smack._ "Then stop screaming!"

"I will if you stop hitting me!"

Cobra forced his body to turn into whatever surface he was laying on, his face full of fabric. A couch, maybe? "Shut the fuck up," he grumbled.

"I think everyone should leave for a bit," the Sky Dragon Slayer said. "Lucy, I left you some notes on the table. Let me know if you need anything."

"Wait, you're leaving him here?"

"Best not to move him for now. I need to get a couple of things for him from Granny Porly, so I'll be back in a couple of hours. Make sure he stays hydrated in the meantime."

A heavy sigh. "Okay. Thanks, Wendy."

"And I shall speak to Jellal about you finding him, Lucy," the Titania asserted. "He's probably quite worried. After all, he did mention that Erik seemed out of it lately when I last spoke with him."

_That damned gossipy blueberry!_

"I'll make certain Jellal understands the situation. Natsu, Gray, you're both coming with me."

"Sure."

"Aw, man!" the Salamander protested. "I wanted to tease Cobra some more!"

"Hey, Lucy… I left a bowl with cold water and washcloths on the kitchen counter. I bet he has a wicked headache."

Cobra made a mental note to pay the Ice Make Mage back somehow.

"Thanks, Gray. Bye, guys."

"Bye, Lucy! I'll let Happy know you're okay! He's probably spreading weird rumors right now."

"Lucy-san, do you need anything from Granny Porly while I'm over there?"

"Nope," Lucy replied. "I'm good, thanks."

"I shall return this evening as well, with news from Jellal," Erza informed her. "Erik, behave yourself."

The Poison Dragon Slayer released an incoherent scream into the couch cushions.

"…I'll take that as an affirmative. Goodbye, you two."

The door shut soon thereafter, and blessed silence descended. Well… almost silence. There was still the Celestial Mage, though she was at least attempting to be unobtrusive.

Soft footsteps padded along the carpet. "Hey, Cobra," the girl said quietly. "I have a washcloth for your head here, and more blankets if you would like them? Also, I can make you something to eat if you give me a few minutes to take stock of what Natsu and Happy left me after their latest food raid."

Cobra turned onto his back once more, and cracked his eye open. The lights in the small space were dimmed, but still bright enough to worsen the pounding in his head. He blinked furiously, and then rotated his head to view Lucy properly. "…I fell in a canal?" he croaked out.

The blonde woman regarded him, her brown eyes somber. "Yeah, I found you. You'd been in there a while, I think. Taurus pulled you out for me, and now you're on my couch in my apartment."

Flopping an arm over his face, Cobra shut his eye again. "I wasn't anywhere near Magnolia," he muttered. "How did I end up in the city?"

"The currents are strong in some places. You're lucky you didn't drown."

"…I'll take those blankets and the washcloth." Any food he tried to eat right now would just come back up, he was certain.

"Got it." A moment later, heavy warmth settled around him. "I had Natsu heat them, just in case."

As a cool cloth met with his forehead, Cobra felt something odd welling up inside of him. He wasn't used to someone taking care of him. It was strange in the extreme for someone to do it now.

"Hey," he said.

"Hmm?"

"…Thanks."

Cobra didn't need to see Lucy's smile to know it shone like the sun. "You're welcome."

Weird it may be, but Cobra thought that maybe he could get used to this.


	3. Chapter 3

Lucy smiled to herself, seeing the Poison Dragon Slayer passed out on her couch, face turned into the junction between the back and the seat cushions. She'd had the opportunity to get to know the man well while he convalesced on her sofa after his accident with the canal. To the point where she could reasonably call him a good friend.

Kneeling beside him on the floor, Lucy propped her head up with her elbow resting on a couch cushion and just contemplated him for a minute.

Despite his completely recovered state, Cobra still occasionally showed up at her apartment whenever he was in the area. Most of the time, he seemed to just want to visit, or mutually (and goodnaturedly) complain about their respective teams. Which was perfectly fine by Lucy. He was easy company, which had surprised her to no end back when he first ended up at her apartment. His sense of humor was definitely more on the mischievous side, but he understood when he was pushing her too far and was able to back down. Lucy assumed that was his Soul Listening magic at work. To be honest, his magic fascinated her and he was more than pleased to explain its mechanics to her in detail when asked about it.

That was another thing she'd discovered about him - he was far more intelligent and sharp-witted than she'd thought back when Oracion Seis was still their enemy.

"It was by design," he'd informed her when she apologized for her assumption. "People underestimate you when they think you're a simpleton. By the point they realized they were wrong, they were generally already dead." Sensing her reticence on the topic of his past cruelties, he'd stared her straight in the eye. "In my defense, most of the time they were out to kill me first. But a lot those deaths were unnecessary, I know." The words were spoken with a level tone, but Lucy could see the brief flash of pain in his indigo eye. Cobra regretted his actions; he wouldn't have joined Crime Sorciere if he didn't. Not even for freedom. Cobra was rather honest like that. It was either all or nothing with him, a characteristic he shared with Natsu (though he would deny it when confronted with the idea).

Acting upon instinct, Lucy reached out to touch Cobra's spiky maroon hair. The locks, contrary to appearance, were soft. Apparently they just naturally spiked up like that, Cobra had no control over it. Reminiscent of a dragon's horned skull, it was yet another side effect of the lacrima implantation that had given him his Dragon Slayer abilities.

The act of running her fingers through his hair soothed a part of her she hadn't quite realized needed it. Much like how her apartment had suddenly felt empty when he had first gone. Her tiny rented space had become too large without his presence, and if she were to be honest with herself, she missed Cobra and his banter when he wasn't around. Lucy had gotten used to him being there while he had recuperated. Her home wasn't... complete without him.

So she wasn't going to complain when he showed up every once in a while at random.

"I think most people take offense to their hair being molested while they sleep."

Lucy squeaked and drew her hand back, holding it to her chest. "Cobra!" she exclaimed, her voice half an octave higher than its usual. "You were awake?"

"Yeah."

"...How long?"

He didn't respond.

"You... you never fell asleep in the first place, did you," Lucy whispered, mortified.

"...No. I didn't."

Lucy whimpered and covered her face, burning up with embarrassment. "Why didn't you stop me, then?"

"Felt nice," Cobra admitted.

Peeking at him through her fingers, Lucy leveled a mild glare at Cobra's still-turned back. "So you were just teasing me."

"Mmhm," he affirmed.

The Celestial Mage sighed and dropped her hands into her lap. She fidgeted with them.

"...Lucy?"

She jolted at the sound of her name from the Poison Dragon Slayer. "Y-yes, Cobra?"

He didn't immediately reply. When he did, he spoke carefully, as if each word were holding up pieces of his soul. "I don't like not being here, either."

Lucy could feel her heart pounding in her chest at Cobra's confession. Even though he couldn't see it, she offered him a quavery smile. "You know, everyone... everyone needs a place to come back to, a place to feel safe. So... you're welcome to consider this place your home, too." She paused, and then added, "But only if you want to, of course."

"...I would like that," Cobra told her.

Her smile became stronger, more certain. "Then next time you come, I'll greet you with a 'Welcome Home!'

She thought she saw his body trembling at her statement. But his voice, when he spoke, was steady and clear.

"Then I'll say, 'I'm back.'"


	4. Chapter 4

Lucy watched with a mixture of horror and amusement at the chaotic scene before her, which had begun with the four Dragon Slayers of Fairy Tail agreeing on a joint training session to hopefully learn to cover their weaknesses. That intention had been lost somewhere along the way, and now they were just playing some sort of convoluted game involving a heavier-than-normal medicine ball and copious amounts of random Dragon Slayer magic flying everywhere.

Beside Lucy, Levy sighed. The pair, along with the Exceeds and Erza, had come to make certain nothing too important got destroyed (sure they were out in the middle of nowhere, but let's face it – Natsu was involved and he had an uncanny knack for finding new and clever ways to destroy things in a spectacular fashion). Erza and the Exceeds were supposedly playing referee at the moment. Or in theory, at least. Erza had long since ditched the position and entered the fray herself, with Happy giving out extremely unhelpful commentary.

As near as Lucy could tell, it was Gajeel and Natsu versus Laxus and Wendy versus Erza the one woman tank.

"Think we should get them to break for lunch?" Levy asked. "I mean... they've been at this a while."

The Celestial Mage shook her head. "I'm not getting in the middle of _that_."

Levy accepted this logic. "So, Lu-chan," she said, shifting closer to her friend and leaning in with a wicked grin. "I heard you've been getting really close to a certain Dragon Slayer lately."

Letting out a groan, Lucy hung her head. "I _knew_ that gossipy blue fuzzball was still spreading rumors! No, nothing is going on, I promise!"

"Well _that_ certainly doesn't sound like nothing!" Levy's smirk was all-knowing. A trait she'd picked up from a certain Dragon Slayer herself, Lucy would wager.

"We're just friends, Levy."

"Oh? Then who do you know who I'm talking about?!"

Lucy gave her a look of pity. It was a valiant attempt on Levy's part. "I'm friends with _all_ of them, and Happy spreads rumors about _all_ of them, so it doesn't matter which one you mean."

The Solid Script Mage facepalmed. "The one that's taken up residence with you."

"I live alone, Levy," Lucy informed her, well aware of who she was trying to allude to. "Even speaking in hyperbole, that still wouldn't narrow it down." She understood why Levy wasn't specifically naming him, though. Upon hearing the Poison Dragon Slayer's name, Natsu would assume the man was present and drop whatever he was doing to run around shrieking for Cobra to fight him. It had happened before.

Levy was becoming visibly frustrated with Lucy's purposeful obtuseness. "Lucy, seriously. I'm not just being nosy, I'm really worried about you. Come on, everyone already thinks that he imprinted on you when you saved his life anyway!"

"IMPRINTED?!" screeched Natsu, the three-way battle coming to an abrupt close. "ON LUCY?!"

The other Dragon Slayers did not seem pleased by this outburst, leaving Erza to just stand there amongst them in utter confusion as to what was going on.

"Whoa, Blondie got imprinted on?!" a white haired man said, walking up to the group and forcefully interjecting himself into the conversation. "Nice! Which of those bastards was it?!" He paused, taking in the gathering of Dragon Slayers more closely. "Unless it was Wendy-san?"

A dark haired man cuffed his partner upside the head. "She's too young, moron."

"...I deserved that," Sting acknowledged, while the Shadow Dragon Slayer rolled his eyes.

"We came to visit, and overheard you," Rogue informed the group. "It's good to see you all."

"Yeah!" a red Exceed exclaimed cheerfully.

"Fro, too!" a costumed Exceed also input.

"Lector! Frosch!" Happy greeted the pair. Pantherlily and Carla also joined in with their well-wishes, the Exceed group wandering away from the humans.

Lucy eyed the pair of newcomer Dragon Slayers with trepidation. "Isn't Sting a Guild Master? Should he really be wandering around…?"

Sting blinked owlishly at Lucy. "What are ya talking about, Blondie? Makarov does this kinda shit all the time."

"You really want to be emulating him?"

He opened his mouth and raised a finger, about to refute her statement, only to pause and reconsider. Sting decided to change the subject. "So I overheard someone imprinted on you!"

"Sting, you already said that," Rogue pointed out.

A blank stare from the Celestial Mage was directed at the group. "Does anyone want to tell me what imprinting is? A little lost here, folks."

"Yes, some clarification might be nice," Erza added.

"It's a mating thing," Gajeel explained. "What?" he asked when Lucy stared at him.

"So why does _Levy_ know about it?"

"I was telling Lily about things Metalicana taught me, and Shrimp jumped in at some point."

Sting and Rogue exchanged a glance. "Is that seriously all your dragon told you about it?" Sting questioned.

Natsu looked at them perplexed. "Igneel told me much the same."

"Grandeeny hadn't gotten to explaining m-mating things in detail, yet," Wendy admitted.

The Iron Dragon Slayer shrugged. "The shitty lizard was better at squashing things than explaining them."

Rogue and Sting looked at each other again. "That in itself explains quite a lot..."

Gajeel bristled at the comment. "Hey, are you looking down on me, punk?!" he growled. "Why don't you come over here so _I_ can squash _you!_ "

"Quiet, Gajeel. Sting. Rogue. What is this imprinting thing, then?" Erza demanded, hating to be left in the dark.

Sting made a helpless gesture, so Rogue took the helm. "It's a term used to describe an unbreakable lifetime bond between a Dragon Slayer and another person, generally brought about through a survived trauma."

"Oh!" Lucy exclaimed. "Is that all?" She thought back to all of her past interactions with Cobra, terrified and pulling him out of that canal, helping him to recuperate, the inexplicable loneliness she felt when he wasn't around, and the more recent offering of her home for his use (made official with her handing over a key to the apartment). This neatly tied together all of her confused feelings about her dealings with the Poison Dragon Slayer. "Then... yeah, I guess he might have imprinted on me."

Something about saying that aloud felt right in ways Lucy couldn't properly articulate, even within her own mind.

Surprise crossed the Twin Dragons' faces.

"Um... Lucy-san," Rogue said carefully. "Might I ask who?"

"Cobra. I saved him a while ago, and we've become pretty good friends since then. Levy was saying that she thought he and I had something going on, but no, we don't."

This didn't appear to ease the Sabertooth Dragon Slayers in the least. "Uh... Blondie? There's a reason why the princess and dragon-slaying knight end up together in stories," Sting told her. "Although in reality it's the opposite - the Dragon Slayers are the ones with a thing for being rescued."

"So similar to a reverse Florence Nightingale effect or transference?" Wendy asked.

Sting blinked. "I guess? But for Dragon Slayers, it's permanent, and while it can be platonic it's usually not. So Gajeel-san was at least partly right about the whole mating thing. It's not specifically a mating ritual, but it can lead to one."

"Pardon me," interjected Erza, "but how is it that the pair of you know more about mating, when I assume you had about as much time with your dragons as Wendy? Being that you're technically the same age?"

The two stared blankly at her.

Realization dawned in Erza's eyes. "Oh. OH. OHHHHHHHHHH..." Her face took on a crimson hue not dissimilar from her hair colour.

Sting shook with restrained laughter at Erza's reaction, though he was not nearly brave enough to make any sort of noise.

Laxus, on the other hand, had no problem guffawing at the Titania's blunder.

Lucy smiled at her redheaded friend's deep embarrassment. "Anyway, Sting, Rogue," Lucy said, addressing the Dragon Slayers, "I appreciate your concern, but Cobra and I are friends. That's all."

Rogue raised an eyebrow. "Sting and I are friends as well, and were before. That has remained unchanged."

She shook her head in denial. "Thanks, but you're mistaken about us."

The Shadow Dragon Slayer tilted his head in acceptance of her statement, though his crimson eyes spoke an entirely different story. He clearly didn't believe her in the least. After all, he recalled his own protests and denials quite well. This wasn't something that could be rushed, though. So he wouldn't interfere further, and would make sure Sting kept his trap shut. Rogue could do at least that much - and quite frankly, Rogue owed Lucy a great deal more for his future self's actions. There was nothing he could do about the Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, but he assumed they had enough sense to leave the matter well enough alone. It was sufficient that Lucy was aware of the possibilities laid out before her.

If Lucy and Cobra decided that path to mates was the right one for them, all the better. If they didn't, it was also no loss. Lucy was going to come out of this with either a lover or a lifelong friend.

Either way, it would be a win for the pair.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a full three days after the imprinting conversation before Cobra showed up again at Lucy's apartment. Hearing a soft knock at her door, Lucy answered it. Discovering, much to her surprise, Cobra leaning on the wall next to it, wheezing. Sweat poured down his face, and he looked for all the world like he had run the entire way from whatever hellhole Crime Sorciere was stashed in on the other side of the country.

Actually, given Erza's penchant for telling Jellal _everything_ she considered noteworthy (if it wasn't deemed classified by the Master, that is), it was entirely possible Cobra had done just that.

Lucy stepped aside and allowed the weary mage to stumble in with a sympathetic look. "Would you like some water?"

Collapsing into his spot on the couch, Cobra made a vague gesture with his hand - which Lucy decided to take as a yes. After grabbing two glasses and filling them with water, she made her way over to Cobra and handed him one. He gratefully took it. Then Lucy sat down next to him with the other glass, tucking her feet up under her and leaning against the back of the couch.

After a few minutes spent in silence, Lucy finally ventured, "You shouldn't exhaust yourself this much. That's how you ended up on this couch in the first place."

A groan and an eye roll was her response. But he set down his empty glass.

"...So?" Lucy prompted.

Cobra's eye narrowed, and he glowered at an undefined point on Lucy's wall. "...I need time away from my team." In all honesty, it was more to prevent their murder at his hands than anything else. They were becoming _very_ annoying.

With a giggle, Lucy shook her head at Cobra's wounded pride. "Was their teasing really that bad?"

"Jellal doesn't know when to fucking quit!" he grouched. "It was payback for me teasing him about the redheaded monster." The Dragon Slayer grimaced. "Sorano and Macbeth wouldn't let up either. And Meredy...!" Cobra paused, watching Lucy shake with restrained laughter. "Glad to hear you're enjoying this."

She wiped a tear of mirth from her eye. "I've been getting much the same treatment, truth be told." Happy was the literal _worst_. "It just means that they're your family."

He snorted at her statement, but seemed to consider it.

Lucy's smile fell, and she shifted nervously in place. "I hate to ask but... what do you think of all this?"

"Imprinting in general? Or on you specifically?" Cobra questioned.

"You can hear what I mean."

"...Only if you know it yourself."

The Celestial Mage flinched in surprise. "...Both, then."

Cobra shrugged. "I'd never heard of imprinting before, but it makes sense. As for how I feel about probably having imprinted on you... it's more complicated. I'm not sure I appreciate having a lacrima dictate my feelings." It left him adrift, with no way to control the situation himself. Cobra didn't like having his control taken away from him - so much had been stolen from him throughout his life, but he had assumed his core emotions were still under his sole possession. Now it seemed as if they never had been.

The whole thing left a bit of a rancid taste in his mouth.

Nodding, Lucy tried not to feel hurt by his words. She could understand not wanting to be manipulated - thanks to her less than stellar childhood. Cobra wasn't taking issue with her in particular, just the situation.

Still sort of felt like a rejection, though.

"...Hey," Cobra muttered trying to get Lucy's attention before she retreated into herself. When she made eye contact with him again, he slowly said, "I just wanted time to think it through. Away from Crime Sorciere." He paused, and then asked, "Do you mind if I... do my thinking here?" He wanted to say more than that. That the apartment was comfort to him, that Lucy was comfort to him, even if it was lacrima-induced. This had become his safe place; Lucy had become his safe place. He wasn't going to give up either without a fight.

But he didn't know how to say any of it. Too many years spent in people's head left it hard to communicate what was within his own.

Lucy smiled at him, adept at reading between the lines. Especially so when it came to Cobra. "I don't mind at all. Stay as long as you want - this is your home, too."

A loud grumbling filled the room.

Laughter burst from the pair as the noise subsided.

"I see one part of you is certainly settled in!" Lucy joked, happy the tension was diffused.

Cobra chuckled. "Yeah. I might have... forgotten to eat anything on the way here."

"Just how far away were you?!"

"...Bosco." When Lucy's mouth dropped open, he grinned at her. "I hitched a ride on top of a train. ...I don't recommend the experience."

Lucy swatted his arm lightly, a small part of her soul soaring at being allowed the action. "I thought I told you to take better care of yourself!"

"Damage was already done."

Standing up, Lucy walked over to her kitchen to rifle through her supplies. Hopefully there was something left over for them after Team Natsu's latest raid. "You will take care of yourself from now on, you got that?"

"Yeah, yeah." As he watched Lucy rummage around, the smile slipped from his face. "I'm trying," he said quietly to himself. "I'm trying."


	6. Chapter 6

Communication would normally seem to be Cobra's strong suit - after all, the man could hear the very vibrations of peoples' souls, their thoughts, and he certainly had little trouble letting people know exactly how little he thought of them. Unfortunately, Cobra's ability to properly articulate something had a tendency to fail abruptly when he was confronted with situations he either didn't understand, or when he needed to communicate something important to _someone_ important. Like now.

Which would be why he was sitting, somewhat awkwardly, on his best friend's couch in her small home at three o'clock in the afternoon after having purposefully managed to avoid direct contact with Lucy and his team (who were all in town and _very_ eager to catch up with him) for three straight days.

He shifted on the furniture somewhat, as Kinana walked into the room with a tray of tea. "I'm afraid I don't have much by way of poison to add. Sorry."

Cobra shook his head, his body immediately relaxing at the sound of Kinana's voice, tension held over several long weeks finally draining out of him. "That's fine. It's good to take a break every once in a while."

Kinana smiled at him. She passed over his steaming cup, and took her own to her spot on the couch. "I think the saying is, 'Too much of a good thing is bad for you?'"

The dragon slayer snorted at her words. "Ironically a phrase about accidentally poisoning yourself." He shifted again.

"So," Kinana said, putting down her cup. "I'm assuming this isn't a social call."

"...No," Cobra admitted. He frowned and set down his own cup.

When it seemed clear that he didn't know how to begin, Kinana leaned forward. "You know..." she murmured thoughtfully, "I've had a couple of interesting visitors this week. I think even Lucy came by. I wasn't aware she knew where I lived, to be honest."

Cobra nodded. It was faint, but Lucy's scent was definitely present. It must have been left... two days prior, he thought.

Kinana stared at him for a moment. "We had an interesting conversation. About imprinting and the like. Seems she was pretty worried about you, too. Hadn't seen you for a full day. Now..." The barmaid leaned back, picking up her tea once more. "I could be wrong, but being worried about you after having not seen you for only twenty-four hours is a bit unusual." She took a sip of her tea. "Oh, that's hot."

Narrowing his eye at her, Cobra mimicked her movements. "You've been spending too much time with the demon." He sat up straight again. No matter how hard he tried to find a comfortable position, it just wasn't working.

"Which one? Freed or Mirajane?" Kinana teased him.

He blanched outright. Honestly he found both quite horrifying; one had nothing but _rules_ in his head, and the other contained several monsters vying for control. They were welcome to each other as far as Cobra was concerned.

Deciding to move on, Kinana broached the subject she knew was on his mind. "I would be curious to hear your thoughts on this imprinting thing."

"...I don't like it," Cobra confided, the words he couldn't say to Lucy flowing easily with Kinana. "I don't like having my will decided for me. If I feel something for someone, I want it to be because I want to. Not because some ancient, magical tradition chose it for me. I hate having my consent taken away from me." Consent meant everything to him.

After a moment, Kinana nodded slowly. "So there _are_ feelings, then?"

Cobra clenched his hands, unwittingly making his tea shake. He set it down before he destroyed Kinana's cup. "...It's like I'm taking away _her_ consent, too."

"I see."

Silence fell between them, but neither found it oppressive though it was fraught with tension as Kinana internally debated what to say next. "Have you ever felt this way about your magic? I'm just curious."

"At the beginning I did," admitted Cobra. "But there's no way to turn it off, or stop it. It's not like I asked for it either. So I let it drop - there's nothing I can do about it. And I do what I can to give people a semblance of privacy, besides."

"I'm not sure how this is different?" Kinana ventured. "This isn't something you asked for, and as far as I'm aware of there's no way to be rid of it. If she's fine with it, where's the harm? Seems to me that this involves _more_ consent than your magic does."

He blinked several times in stunned surprised, while his old friend quietly drank her tea. "...I see what you're getting at," he stated, once his thoughts were in order once more. "But this is different."

"Because it involves feelings, and a person's heart?"

"Exactly."

His friend rubbed her forehead. "Even if you have the other person's consent?"

"Is it really hers, though? Or is the lacrima forcing it on her?" Cobra pressed.

Kinana sighed. "Now you're just being stubborn..." She drummed her fingers along the side of her cup. "How would a lacrima inside _your_ body affect _her_ opinion? Have a little more faith in the human heart." Raising a finger as he was about to protest, she continued, "Not just in hers, but in yours."

Cobra closed his mouth with a snap, clearly not yet convinced.

"Erik," Kinana said softly, putting down her cup. "Tell me. Have you ever doubted our friendship?"

"Of course not," was his automatic reply. "Why would I?"

A sad smile touched her lips. "Because I still have no memory as to how we became friends, or anything about our friendship prior to a couple of years ago."

The dragon slayer flinched.

"I don't blame you for not telling me," Kinana added. "Given what little I know of your past and my... condition, I... I think I prefer not knowing. At the same time... I've never doubted the strength of our affection for each other. To me, this is something clear. I don't know how it came about. I don't know how we met, even. But I know, just as I know the sky is vast, that you are my friend, and that you will always, always be my friend. Some things the heart just knows, Erik. And you have to learn to listen to what it tells you. So what is it telling you, Erik?"

Cobra opened his mouth, and then shut it again. Suddenly, everything seemed to click into place. "I... I didn't..." He paused, then continued, still in shock, "I didn't imprint on Lucy. Because..." He pointed at Kinana. "I imprinted... on you. Years and years ago." Back at the Tower. They'd saved each other. She, a little snake, and he, a lost, young boy. The lacrima implantation had only cemented an existing bond.

Meaning any feelings he had for Lucy were all him. Completely and wholly his own.

And so were hers.

A brilliant smile bloomed on Kinana's face, her cheeks turning rosy. "Really? It makes me happy to hear that!"

Pushing himself off the couch, Cobra muttered, "I'm sorry... but I need to..."

"Go!" Kinana made a shooing motion at him. "Talk to her. Just lock the door behind you."

He stared at her for a long moment. "Yeah, you're definitely spending too much time with the demon."

"Go home, Erik. Go home."

"...Yeah. I will."

* * *

When Lucy returned from her afternoon shopping, she was startled to find her couch once again occupied. After three days of nothing from him... she had started to think that maybe he wanted nothing more to do with her. Despite Kinana's reassurances to the contrary.

Several emotions warred inside of her for dominance.

Before she could choose one to act upon, Cobra spoke, almost casually, "They say home isn't always a place. Sometimes, it's a person."

Lucy set her bags down, appraising his appearance. He seemed a little off-kilter to her. Every muscle was being held stiffly. For once, he wasn't making direct eye contact with her while he spoke, and was it just her or was the skin on his face a shade or two darker than it normally was? "I think I've heard that," she returned, her voice soft.

He was silent again, for several long moments. Then he turned his gaze to meet hers. "...Can I have a key?"

Warmth spread through her body, settling in her chest, and flaring like fire in her cheeks and ears. "...Sure," she agreed. Then Lucy grinned. "Welcome home, Cobra!"

Cobra smiled in return, one of his rare, peaceful ones. "Good to be home, Lucy."


End file.
